WASHINGTON - Brave New Foundation presents a panel of experts flown in directly from
Afghanistan to share their perspective with lawmakers, policy and
opinion leaders, members of the press and the public at large.

As the war in Afghanistan continues to escalate with the number of
civilian and American troops' casualties on the rise and the financial
cost of the war spiraling out of control, their view from the ground
offers a crucial opportunity in rethinking Afghanistan policy.

Ms. Wordak, Ms. Jones and Mr. Gopal will go into detail about their
experiences while living in the region and provide insight on how the
current military efforts are having an impact on American troops and
Afghan civilians alike.

You can view their participation on Brave New Foundation's film Rethink Afghanistan here:

Roshanak Wardak is an Afghanistan MP and represents nearly 1 million
people. As a gynecologist she spent many years working with Afghan
women in refugee camps in neighbor Pakistan. In defiance of Taliban
orders, Wardak spent five years treating Afghan civilians in some of
the poorest provinces. Wardak is devoted to serving the Afghan people,
a fierce proponent of women's education and much-needed basic
development in Afghanistan.

Ann Jones is a lifelong civil and women's rights activist, and renowned
peace advocate. After 9/11 she went to Afghanistan, where she worked as
a humanitarian volunteer for four years, teaching Afghan high school
English teachers, documenting the cases of women detained in prison,
and advocating for women's rights. Her book Kabul in Winter: Life
without Peace in Afghanistan (2006) documents her experiences.

Anand Gopal covers the "Global War on Terror" across its many fronts,
from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia to the domestic arena. He is a
correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor and for numerous other
outlets as well. To view a complete compilation of blogposts and
articles visit: www.anandgopal.com
For more information or to host an interview or speaking engagement
with Cpl. Rick Reyes, the group of vets or Rethink Afghanistan director
Robert Greenwald, please contact: Martha De Hoyos at Martha@bravenewfoundation.org 310.402.9048.

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Further

On this day 50 years ago, a platoon of U.S. soldiers entered the hamlet of My Lai in South Vietnam and, in hours, massacred 504 unarmed women, children and old men. Over 300 of the victims were younger than 12; the G.I.s also raped many of the women and burned all the homes. Today, with torturers and warmongers on the rise, the horrors of My Lai serve as a grim warning. In America's wars of choice, says one vet, we are all "one step away from My Lai."